The idea of organising an International Competition for Designers and Fashion Enthusiasts came into being due to the initiative of the President of Kielce – Wojciech Lubawski.
Our Competition, which takes place in Kielce, addresses young designers, whose keenness and creativity alter the way in which we perceive the fashion market in Poland and give the streets of our cities a hint of individuality and originality. The aim of the Competition is to give such designers an opportunity for a good business start. The event has been immediately recognised by the fashion environment, which is reflected by the number of entered projects.
Reports regarding the event were published in nation-wide television channels such as TVN, TVP INFO, POLSAT, TVP 1, as well as in broadcasting stations, daily press, fashion magazines and prestigious magazines such as “SUKCES”, “Twój Styl”, “Show”, “Newsweek”, “Moda i Styl”. This attention combined with a fantastic atmosphere during the shows determined the great success of the Competition.
Months have been spent on preparations and qualifying rounds as well as on the acquiring of a professional jury and the polishing up of the details. The assumption was to present the “off” fashion segment. Among the participants one could find both professionals and amateurs having a passion for tailoring and designing.
Thanks to this open formula of OFF FASHION it became clearly visible just how unlimited human creativity and imagination is. It could be witnessed how individuals from places distant from one another, coming from big cities or small, dusty villages and growing up in different cultural traditions create extraordinary designs. They sculpt fabric, they play with colour, they prove that imagination has no limits.
They prove that talent is an extraordinary trait.
Each edition of the Competition brings about more Projects, which are more interesting; the increasing attention of the fashion world is becoming noticeable.edycje.
The Competition has become an inherent part of the fashion event calendar and immediately gained the status of an important event.
It became a great chance for debutants and a key reference point for other competitions held in Poland. OFF FASHION also proved that the city of Kielce can be a fashion capital.
A tremendous role in the development of the event is played by a professional jury, which evaluates the entered works. The jury therefore consist of the most professional designers and trend creators enjoying worldwide esteem. Among the individuals having worked in the jury, worthy to note is inter alia Bianca Cimiotta Lami, who has been active in the fashion and clothing sectors for over 15 years. While formerly engaging in arts and theatre, she ultimately devoted herself to the world of fashion. Her current activities are focused around Alta Moda and the cooperation with various representatives of the Italian Couture.
Bianca Cimiotta Lami took part in the organisation and promotion of numerous and significant fashion events, focusing her attention on the one factor formative for the whole fashion world – the young designers. Among these events there can be named for instance: Creativity – Il Villaggio della Moda e i suoi Dintorni (English: Creativity – a Village of Fashion and its Environment), the first competition for young designers. She also engages in the organisation of congresses and meetings, inviting the crème de la crème of the fashion world. Bianca Cimiotta Lami also published a monograph on Coco Chanel; in Italy the publisher of the monograph is Electa – Mondadori.
She is the originator of the first course of lectures on journalism in fashion. Also a member of the Science Committee of the Fashion Archive by the Italian Ministry of Culture. For years Bianca Cimiotta Lami has been the head of the Promotion and Communication Department of the Koefia Academy. The Paprocki and Brzozowski duo. As a duo they are known since the year 2000. They developed their skills while attending the Faculty of Textile and Fashion of the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, which they have graduated from in 2002. Two years later they made their debut with their first, original collection, thanks to which they have been awarded the title of Designers of the Year 2004. However, the list of awards extends further, e.g.: “The Golden Thread” awarded during the Łódź International Fair or the Stowarzyszenie Promowania Młodych Europejskich Talentów (English: Association for Promoting Young European Talents) prize. In May 2005 they have been awarded the title of “Osobowość w Modzie i w Sztuce” (English: Fashion and Art Personality) during the fifth edition of the “Moda i Sztuka” (English: Fashion and Art) in Wrocław. The designers are known for their fondness of airy, ethereal fabrics, feminine cuts and sophisticated forms. Wojciech Grzybała – an expert on trends. He is a graduate of the Warsaw University, faculty of History of Arts. The winner of the prestigious “Nadzieja Kielc” (English: The Hope of the City of Kielce) prize. For ten years he has been active as a photographer and fashion session producer. His career began with taking the photographs of celebrities for the cover pages of magazines such as “Cogito” and “Press”. He published numerous fashion sessions in the monthly magazine “Exclusiv”. Prof. Barbara Hanuszkiewicz – designer, photographer, owner of Studio Gala. A grand personality in the fashion Word. Prof. Hanuszkiewicz is an author of a vast number of reportages. From her distant voyages (Australia, Peru, Mexico to name a few) she brings back not only photographs, but also elaborate fabrics, from which she afterwards creates her collections. As a compliment for her efforts in the year 2005 she has been awarded the decoration “Zasłużony dla kultury Polskiej” (English: Person of Merit for the Polish Culture”) by the Minister of Culture. Mariusz Przybylski Fascinated by fashion from an early age. He honed his skills while attending the Faculty of Textile and Fashion of the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź and the Łódź International Studies Academy. He made his debut in 2005 with an original men’s fashion collection. One year later he prepared a spring-summer collection. Since then Mariusz Przybylski has been going in one, specified direction – luxurious man’s fashion. The collections by Przybylski are characterised by the most elegant of fabrics and the highest possible quality. The designer enjoys a solid position on the Polish fashion market, having earned the recognition of the most demanding of clients such as Bogusław Linda, Piotr Adamczyk or Andrzej Piaseczny.
Off Fashion is also a wide-open window on the world. Our prize-winners, thanks to the cooperation of KCK (English: Kielce Centre for Culture) with the schools in Rome and Denmark, are awarded scholarships at Art Universities endowed by our European partners. They also have the opportunity to present their collections on prestigious fashion shows.
We remain in cooperation with Art Schools from Poland and other countries, some of the schools being: the Cracow School of Art and Fashion Design, the International School of Costume and Fashion Design in Warsaw, the TEKO Design + Business school in Denmark and the Art School KOEFIA in Rome.
Passion and faith in what one is doing as well as enormous effort and an idea – these are all the necessary ingredients. These ingredients gave rise to an absolutely fantastic event. Future editions are sure to prove that.
Apart from the Competition and the final gala event, we organise a number of accompanying events: vernissages, film screenings, performances, street shows, workshops and special fashion shows of the leading companies of the Polish market. Each show incorporates astonishing light and music composition and a specially erected catwalk, which are supplemented by events.
